Matraca Berg didn't set out to write five #1 hits in a single calendar year, to be nominated for Grammys in each of the past three decades, to have her seminal "Sunday Morning To Saturday Night" named one of the 10 Best Records of the Year in any genre by Time, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today and People, as well as myriad daily newspapers, or to end up in the prestigious Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame at such a young age.

But she has and here she is; one of the most consistently successful songwriters in America and she's also a great singer, though only rarely makes her own albums.

Maybe it was the deadline. Maybe it was the notion that she was making "a record." Maybe her critically acclaimed 20111 album "The Dreaming Fields" (her first album in 14 years) that inspired the lithe songstress to keep reaching and writing.

For whatever reason, "Love's Truck Stop" - a collection of songs that celebrate the spark of the human spirit, the resilience of women and the joy of being alive even when it's difficult - is easily the most engaging record of Matraca Berg's career.